Clamp



June 6, V1944.

Patented June 6, 1944 FICE CLAMP j Donald H. Finkle, Los'Angeles, Calif.

Application May 8, 1942, Serial No. 442,155 I (Cl. 85-5) 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a clamp, and more particularly to a clamp for insertion through rivet holes in two or more sheets of metal to clamp firmly said sheets and to coaxially align said holes.

Clamps for the same use as my invention are well known in the art but these clamps all have one or more deiiciencies. These deciencies are that the aligning members do not tightly iit all surfaces of the holes to be coaxially aligned because the clamping members are spread apart only at one point. In my invention I have discovered the following described apparatus which permits the use of two half round rods to coaxially align rivet holes and to rmly engage tween the rods'5 and 6. y Between the shoulder II of the cap'l, and bearing on the spreader I4 and maintaining the same against thev end of the bore 2 is a spring I3. v

To permit insertion in the rivet holes I'I in sheets of material I and I6, the half round rods 5 and 6 are bent so that their ends extending from the face 3 will contact each other when in an extended position. In this position the combined diameter of the projections 8A and 9 is slightly smaller than the rivet holes I'I and the sides of the rivet holes in all of the sheets to be clamped and aligned. While other clamps have accomplished this result, all those known in the art are of a type which cannot be inserted in a straight manner into the rivet holes but must be tipped sideways for insertion and extraction. Ihe clamp of my invention permits a straight insertion and extraction and still engages the sides of the holes in all the sheets of material.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to produce a clamp for aligning rivet holes which will engage the sides of the holes in all the sheets of material to be clamped together.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clamp for aligning rivet holes which can be inserted or withdrawn without twisting sideways.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description of the .preferred embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a cross section of my clamp shown in clamping position.

Fig. 2 is a cross section in extended position for insertion or extraction from a rivet hole.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

A clamp constructed in accordance with my invention comprises a body I, having a central bore 2, and a face 3 through which a hole 4 connects with the bore 2. As aligning members I provide two complementary half rods 5 and 6 extending through the bore 2 and the hole 4 and carrying at one end thereof the cap I and at the other end the projections 8, 9 and I6. To spread the half round rods 5 and 6, a T shaped spreader I4 having a stern that will not pass through the hole 4 and bearing on the end I2, is placed bemay be inserted therein.

By giving a diierent amount of movement to the half round rods 5 and 6, the endof the rod 5 will ride up on the projection I0 on the rod 6 and spread the outwardly extending ends of the rods apart suiiicientlyl so that the projections 8 and 9 will engage one side of the' sheet of material I6 while the face 3 of the body I will engage the other side of the sheet of material I5 and tension will be caused therein by the force of the spring I3 positioned between the spreader I4 and the shoulder II of the capl 1.

I provide relative motion between the rods 5 and 6 in the cap I by making the projection 22 on the rod 5 shorter than the projection 23 on the rod 6 and by allowing the rod 5 to move in relation to the rod 6 in the cap 1, the rod 6 is not fixed rigidly to the cap 'I but its motion is stopped -by a tool, such as Lpliers, engaging the outer face 20 of the cap 'I and the shoulder 2I. The motion of the rod 6 in cap 'I is limited by the size of the projection 23 which is larger than the projection 22, causing relative motion between the rods 5 and 6. To always insure that this relative movement will result, a projection 24 is placed on the rod 5 which will engage the end I2 of the bore 2 and stop the movement of the rod when the clamp is compressed.

The rods 5 and 6 are maintained in their position in the cap 1 by inserting the spacer 25 and pressing the same over to permanently engage the cap 1.

In the operation of my clamp, when the spring I3 is compressed by the use of pliers or other clamping instrument on the outer face 20 and the shoulder 2 I, as the pliers also engage the projection 23 of the rod 6, the rod 6 immediately starts to move but the rod 5 will not move until its bent end engages the tool or pair of pliers. This permits the end of the rod 5 to ride in away from projection I0, thereby decreasing the combined diameter of the projections 8 and 9, allowing insertion in the material. When the pressure of the pliers is released, the cap 1 will move the rod 6 and, when it has moved a sufcient distance for the rod 5 to engage the bottom of the slot I8, the end of the rod 5 will have been spread by the projection lll and the material to be clamped will be tightly compressed between the face 3 and the projections 8 and 9 while the half round complementary rods 5 and 6 will be spaced apart by the projection I and the spreader rod I4 to tightly engage the sides of the rivet holes I1 in both sheets of material l5 and i6.

While I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I am not limited thereby except as set forth in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a clamp, a body slidably carrying complementary rods, said rods having projections on their outer ends for engaging one side of the material to be clamped, tension means for compressing said material between said projections and said body, a spreader in said body to spread said complementary rods in the body, and a projection on one of said complementary rods engaging the other of said rods to spread said rods at their ends.

2. In a clamp', a body, complementary rods carried by said body, said rods having projections on their outer ends for engaging one side of the material to be clamped, tension means for compressing said material between said projections and said body, a spreader to spread said rods yin said body, and a projection on one of said rods engaging the other of said ro'ds to spread said rods at their ends.

3. vIn a clamp, a body, complementary rods slidably carriedv by said body, said rods having projections on 'their outer ends for engaging one side of the material to be clamped, tension means for compressing said material between said projections and said body, a spreader to spread said rods in said body, said complementary rods being movable in relation to each other, and a projection on one of said rods to spread said rods at their ends. Y

4. In a clamp, a body, complementary rods carried by said body, said rods having projections on their outer ends for engaging one side of the material to be clamped,. tension means for compressing said material between said projections and said body, a spreader to spread said rods in said body, said rods being movable in relation to each other, and a projection on one of said rods against which the end of the other of said rods presses and spreads said rods at their ends.

5. In a clamp, a body slidably carrying compiementary rods, said rods having projections on their outer ends for engaging one side of the material to be clamped, tension means for compressing said material between said projections and said body, a spreader in said body to spread said complementary rods in the body, a projection on one end of said complementary rods to spread said rods at their ends, said complementary rods being slidable in relation to each other, and a projection carried upon one of said rods to engage said body and stop its motion in relation to the other of said rods.

6. In a clamp, a body, complementary rods carried by said body, said rods having projections on their outer ends for engaging one side of the material to be clamped, one end of said rods carrying a cap, tension means between said body and said cap for compressing said material between said projection and said body, a spreader to spread said rods in said body, one of said rods being movable in said cap, the other of said rods having a smaller movement in said cap, whereby one rod travels a greater distance than the other rod and permits the end of said lesser moving rod to disengage a projection on the other of said rods, the said rods being bent together so that upon disengagement between the end of one rod and the projection on the` other rod the total d1'- ameter of the rods and their projections will be less than the rivet holes in the material to be clamped to permit insertion of the clamp in the rivet holes. Y n

DONALD H. FINKLE. 

